Saturday, March 28, 2015

I'm taking advantage of the wonderful weather we're having by baking bread . Hopefully next month , it'll still be cool enough to manually knead some since I got this mile-long list of bread that I've been wanting to bake.

Pull-apart bread especially savory ones is always a favorite and best eaten warm , with cup of coffee or an Ice-cold Coke . When I make it , I usually filled it with processed meat( ha ! ) like ham or sausages or bacon or salami and coupled with glorious shredded mozzarella , it always reminds me of pizza which I only eat once in a blue moon . Trust me , I'm always tempted to buy it as there are 2 pizza joint within few minutes walk from our flat and don't forget the bakeries *sigh*

I used the basic dough recipe that I found at The America's Test Kitchen baking book . This is , I think , one of the easiest recipe that I used so far and if you have a sturdy food processor it'll take you roughly 4 minutes to make it . But kneading it by hand is a breeze as well and no machine to clean afterwards ! The dough is very easy to handle and can be easily stretch without tearing . The recipe below is half and will make one 14-inch pizza .

Instead of using pasta sauce ( I haven't seen pizza sauce here yet ) I used the pesto that I found at the farthest corner of the fridge , that pesto by the way , is already expired , but don't worry , I'm still alive lol The top of this pizza bread is delightfully crisp and full of melted cheese with slices of ham here and there but bottom half won't brown that much .

If you're looking for an easy recipe for your weekend baking , this is a must-try !

* In a mixing bowl , combine the flour , yeast and salt , whisk until incorporated . Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the oil and water . Use a wooden spoon / sturdy spatula or your hand to mix everything together to form a shaggy dough . Tip dough into a clean work surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth , form into a round ball and transfer into a lightly-oiled bowl , cover tightly with plastic wrap . Let proof in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size .

* Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip in the dough , using a rolling pin , dusted with flour , roll out dough into a roughly 16 by 12-inch rectangle . Spread pesto evenly on top , sprinkle with mozzarella and top with slices of ham . On the short side of the filled dough , using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife , cut it into 6 equal pieces then stack each piece on top of each other , you'll have 6 layers of rectangles . Cut these layers , crosswise , into 8 pieces and place these layered strips on a prepared pan .

* Bake pizza bread for 25 minutes . Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before serving . Serve either warm or at room temperature .

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Let's take a break from baking cupcakes , shall we ?!
I've made these sliders few days ago and everytime the recipe works really well , okay , with some tweaks , I ask myself , why didn't I make this before ?!

The recipe is quiet straightforward except for a long list of spices , which if you like to cook , can be found lurking in your pantry . I never had this kind of spice rub before and the flavor and smell of the grilled chicken reminds me of some Indian-style dishes , it's the cumin , I think . Or nearly like a simple Mexican-style spice rub . For the sauce , I didn't go overboard with chillies as one of my test tasters doesn't like too spicy food . Though the grilled chicken was a bit spicy , the spiciness is muted when you add it to the sauce .

The grilled chicken on its own tastes so delicious that I've eaten nearly a whole piece of it before adding the rest into the sauce ! If only I had some leftover rice at that time ! If you don't like to shred the chicken , you just can cut it into 4 slices ( depending on the size ) and toss it with the sauce or brush the sauce all over the chicken .

For the slider buns , you can use hamburger buns as stated at Cooking Light magazine but I opted to make a brioche . Initially , I was keen to try Bouchon's Bakery's Nanterre brioche but I returned the book at the library few days ago without copying the recipe *sigh* So , I used Rachel Khoo's brioche ( really , really good ! ) recipe which is a slider buns . I kneaded the very sticky dough manually because as of now , I still don't have a standmixer . Paging donors , anyone ?! lol

Don't forget to make the simple cabbage slaw as it adds a delightful crunch to these pretty awesome sliders !

* To prepare chicken : Combine the first 6 ingredients and rub evenly over chicken , set aside .

* Line the roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil ( to catch the chicken drippings ) and preheat oven to 400°C . Place chicken on the highest wire rack ( I'm using a tabletop oven ) and grill chicken for 20 minutes , 10 minutes on each side . Let stand for 5 minutes then shred with 2 forks .

* While chicken is grilling , prepare the sauce . Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat , add onion , cook for 5 minutes , stirring from time to time . Stir in the sugar , garlic , mustard , chilli flakes and allspice powder , cook for 30 seconds . Stir in ketchup and vinegar , bring to a boil . Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened , stirring occasionally . Stir in the shredded chicken and cook for another 2 minutes , take pan off heat .

* This pulled chicken is more than enough for the brioche recipe below .

* In a mixing bowl , whisk together the flour , sugar and salt then add in the yeast and give it a good stir . Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture , pour in the milk and the eggs . Mix together using a wooden spatula until it forms a very wet dough . Transfer to a clean work surface and knead for 5 minutes , the dough will be very wet . Add in the butter and continue to knead or slap ( onto the surface ) the dough for 20 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic or do a window pane test . The dough is still tacky so , sprinkle some cake flour onto the work surface and on top of the dough and form into a ball . Transfer dough into a lightly-oiled bowl cover with plastic wrap and proof for an hour at room temperature . Put dough into the fridge and let it rise overnight . You can still proceed to divide the dough after it doubled in size and bake it on the same day but it is easier to handle a well-chilled brioche dough especially if the weather is warm .

* Take out brioche dough from the fridge , dust work surface and your hands with cake flour and weigh dough ( my final dough is 582 grams ) , 9 pieces at 50 grams and 2 pieces at 66 grams and form into small balls . Lay each dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment . Cover dough and let proof for about an hour , depending on the warmth of your kitchen , or until doubled in size .

* Meanwhile , preheat oven to 180°C .

* Brush top of the buns with egg wash and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds . Bake for 20 minutes , take out buns and let cool on the wire rack .

Thursday, March 19, 2015

You would have thought that after I ingested most of the banana cupcakes that I baked few days ago , I don't have a hankering for yet another unwholesome goodies ?! Yeah , you shouldn't have made that frosting ..... Oops !!!

I bought pistachios few months ago and been meaning to bake these cupcakes for quiet sometime . I want to make another go at the same recipe that I made eons ago , go on , click the link , just don't mind those old unappetizing photos hee hee !

I love dense cake , I'm partial to pound cake but I like cupcakes with spongy/fluffy crumbs . The texture of this cupcake is dense as no leavening agent is used . I was thinking that it can be made a bit lighter by substituting some ingredients . So , I made some tweaks , crossing my fingers that my substitutions will work since pistachios are not that cheap ha ! In my tweaks , I used self-raising flour instead of all-purpose , used some oil instead of all butter since nuts are naturally-oily ( but I'll use less butter next time , I think 80 grams will be good ) . I also used less sugar though I haven't reduced it ruthlessly .

Surprisingly , the texture is really fluffy which I wasn't expecting ! But wait , I don't have a consistent results , do check out images of the un-frosted cupcakes ( last photo below ) *sigh* I'm using a tabletop oven and I can only bake 1 pan at a time , I baked these cupcakes in 3 batches ugh ! The first batch turned out to be the most fluffy ( I forgot to take photo of it ) but since I filled each liners to nearly full , the top of the cakes look like a mushroom , good thing the batter didn't overflow during baking tsk tsk ! I should have filled the liners at about two-thirds . The texture of the last batch is slightly dense ( see last photo ) , maybe because it has been seating at room temperature for nearly an hour before I baked them ?!

* Beat butter , oil , cream cheese and ground pistachios over medium speed until light and fluffy , 3 minutes . Add sugar , in 3 additions , until smooth , about 3 minutes , scrape the sides of the bowl as needed . On low speed , add eggs , one at a time beating just until incorporated , beat in vanilla . By hand , using a spatula , mix in flour and salt , stir until well combined , the mixture will be thick . Divide batter evenly among liners , about two-thirds full .

* Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean . Cool completely before frosting . Or you can serve it warm or at room temperature without frosting .

* Beat half of the cream cheese and the rest of the ingredients until smooth . Add in the remaining cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy . Transfer frosting into a piping bag , chill for about 15 minutes before using ( if it is below 20°C in your side of the world , you can use it right away )

Saturday, March 14, 2015

The post title is really catchy , right ?! No , I'm not exaggerating because that's really the name of these cupcakes lol

I saw this recipe at Joyce's and the " most fabulous " words spurred me to buy some bananas . This recipe is a breeze to make especially if you have a food processor , even the frosting is made in the machine as well ! As I chucked out my food processor few months ago , I used my trusty electric handmixer instead . The most fab name though didn't stop me from making some tweaks - I replaced some of the butter for oil , added a bit of rum , also added more bananas and using less sugar as no person in her right mind will use that much sweetener hee hee !

Joyce said that the texture of her cake is dense and I was quiet surprised when these cupcakes came out fluffy . I think beating the butter and sugar instead of whizzing them into the food processor makes this cake fluffy , just what I want my cupcake to be . The frosting is not necessary as this cupcake is pretty delicious on its own but to me a cupcake should have a frosting . I have a love-hate relationship ( heh ! ) with frosting , much as I love to eat it , I just can't make myself use that much butter and icing sugar . Because I can't resist a cream cheese , I finally caved in and made the darn frosting . Good thing that I did as the cream cheese frosting pairs delightfully well with this cupcake !

So , does it lives up to its name ?! Go buy some bananas and try this recipe !

* In a large mixing bowl , combine butter and sugar , beat over medium speed until light and fluffy , 3 minutes . Add in the eggs and beat for 1 minute then add in the mashed banana , buttermilk and vanilla , beat for 30 seconds , the mixture will look curdled . By hand , using a large spatula , mix in the flour mixture , stir until well combined .

* Divide mixture into the prepared liners , about three-fourths full . Bake for 23 to 26 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean . Cool completely .

* Beat ***half of the cream cheese , butter and icing sugar together until very smooth then add in the remaining cream cheese until light and fluffy . Place in a piping bag and frost the cupcakes or you can just use a spoon or a knife to spread frosting on top of each cakes .

*** I found this tip at Dan Lepard's Short and Sweet book : If you beat the butter with the sugar and some cream cheese first , it helps to stabilize the mixture . Then when you whisk in the remaining cream cheese , it strengthens the emulsion and keeps the frosting light and smooth .

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

I seldom make broth from scratch , actually this is only the second time that I made it . Remember the tonkotso ramen last time ?! Now , now , no eye-rolling when you check the ingredients ! I know , it's a mile long but the how-to itself is easy-peasy to create this deliciously rich and satisfying Taiwanese beef noodle soup !

I've eaten beef noodles around Hongkong but haven't actually tried Taiwanese beef noodle version . As I haven't been to Taiwan , I can't compare this homemade to the authentic one . Let's just say that those beef noodles that I've eaten pales in comparison to this !

This recipe was developed by Annie Leong ( the cookbook author ) and her kitchen team while she was with Cathay Pacific Catering Services . They've journeyed to Taiwan to unlock the secret behind the famous Taiwanese beef noodle . I'm pretty sure Miss Leong and her team tried almost all shops that sells beef noodles - nice job if you can get it , for sure !

As with every good homemade stock , you need bones , here , beef spine bones are used , you can use bone marrow if you prefer , and to extract as much flavor from the bones you need to roast them first . The author didn't specify how long to roast the bones , so , to be safe , I roasted them for an hour . Unlike most stock recipes I've seen online , some aromatics in this recipe are stir-fried first and the finely crushed crystal or rock sugar is melted before boiling together with the rest of the ingredients . The spice bag which consist of 5 different spices is a must to achieve the distinctive flavor of this popular beef soup . You can use beef brisket if you can't find beef shin . I only use 500 grams beef shin and that's just enough for 3 person . The choice of noodles is very important , you need a flat white noodle for this but if you can't find it in your area , use rice sticks or udon . Oh , you need a huge stockpot for this , I used a 9 by 10 1/2-inch tall pot .

If you're still looking for the recipe reminiscent of those niu rou mian that you've slurped while you were vacationing in Taiwan , this might be it !

some boiled choi sum or any cooked green leafy vegetables of your choice

some chopped spring onions to garnish

homemade or store-bought chilli-garlic sauce

* Blanch the beef bones and shins in boiling water for 5 minutes , drain and rinse under running water , set aside .

* Heat oven to 220°C , place beef bones into a roasting pan and roast until golden brown ( I roasted mine for an hour )

* Heat wok over low heat , add the sesame oil , when the oil warms up , add in the spring onions , ginger , garlic and chillies . Stir-fry over low heat until fragrant , 3 minutes or so , stir in the ground crystal sugar and cook until sugar has melted . Tun heat to medium-high so the melted sugar foams up . Pour in 10 cups of water into the wok and bring to a boil over high heat .

* Pour the remaining 18 cups of water into a tall stockpot then add in the mixture from the wok . Add the beef bones , the spice bag and the beef shins .

* Bring mixture to a boil , skim off foam from the surface and continue to boil for 1/2 hour . Turn off heat lo low and simmer stock for 1 1/2 hours .

* Take out the beef shins when they are soft , set aside for later use . Remove and discard the spice bag . Continue to simmer stock for another 11/2 to 2 hours . Turn off heat and let stock cool down .

* Strain stock and discard the solids , return to the stockpot . Add in the seasoning and bring stock to a boil , the stock is now ready to use .

To serve :

* Cut beef shins into thin slices , set aside until needed .

* Cook noodles according to package direction , drain and rinse briefly ( the noodles must still be warm ) then divide into individual serving bowls .

* Place several slices of beef shins on top of the noodles and ladle hot beef stock onto the bowl just enough to cover . Top with some cooked leafy greens , preserved vegetables and garnish with some chopped spring onions and chili-garlic sauce , if desired . Serve immediately .

Friday, March 6, 2015

After procrastinating for months , I finally made these buns ! I was planning on another attempt at Doreen's pumpkin buns but I forgot to buy pumpkin the day before tsk tsk ! As I've been hankering for panfried buns since I last saw the recipe at Jeannie's , I decided to make it instead . Okay , more like to practice how to pleat Chinese buns neatly , of course , I just can make buns without it but doesn't they look pretty with pleated top ?!

Shanghainese panfried buns are a popular street food in some Chinese cities , the pork-filled dough is panfried first then the water and flour mixture is added once the bottom of the buns turns lightly brown . This water and flour mixture makes the bottom crispy and the combination of the soft , fluffy dough , the deliciously moist pork filling and the crispy bottom is just a delight to one's taste bud . I guess that's why most people love it , including me . I've seen this travel and food show last time and they featured this shop in Shanghai , where local and tourists alike are queuing for this tasty snack .

Unlike some Chinese bun recipe that I've seen online , this one doesn't need a long proofing time . I thought the first time I've made it ( this is my second attempt , I burned the bottom of the buns the first time I made it hee hee ! ) , that Jeannie has forgotten to write the instruction , " after kneading the dough , proof it until double in size " .

Because the weather here was a bit cool , 16°C , the time I made these buns , after shaping them , I prove it for 30 minutes and another 20 minutes before cooking . If it's hotter in your side of the world , the lesser time of proofing .

There is more than enough filling / pork mixture in this recipe , I think it will be enough for 2 recipe of the dough skin but it depends on how generous you are when put in the filling . Actually , the filling in this second batch is a leftover from last time though I only filled 14 pieces instead 16 as I ran out of it . You can freeze leftover filling and just defrost it inside the fridge .

This recipe is pretty straightforward and once you get past the long list of ingredients , it'll be a breeze lol Anyway , I'm pretty sure that most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen cabinet .

So , what are you waiting for ?! If you love Chinese food , this recipe is worth making !

* Prepare the filling : Chopped cabbage into small pieces , add a pinch of coarse salt and give it a good rub in a mixing bowl . Set aside for 15 minutes , toss it with a fork from time to time .

* Chopped spring onions , set aside .

* Combine pork and the rest of the ingredients , from salt to ginger , in a mixing bowl . Use a chopstick and stir in one direction until mixture turns sticky or gluey or you can use a food processor , adjust seasoning according to taste . Cover bowl with a plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for later use .

* Squeeze as much water as you can from the chopped cabbage and drain . Mix with chopped spring onions and set aside .

* To make the dough skin : In a mixing bowl , whisk together the flour , yeast and sugar until combined , make a well in the middle and pour in the water and oil . Mix until it forms a shaggy dough then transfer in a clean work surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic , 8 to 10 minutes or do a window pane test .

* Meanwhile , take out the pork mixture from the fridge and stir in the chopped cabbage and spring onions .

* Lightly dust the work surface with cake flour , roll out a piece of dough into a ( roughly ) round shape , 3 to 3 1/2-inch , with a rolling pin , the edges should be thinner than the center .

* Place a generous 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the dough , hold the edges and fold into pleats , twist the top to seal . I find it easier to pleat if I put the filled dough onto the working surface instead of cradling it into my hand . Place each piece of the filled dough in a nonstick pan ( brush pan with a thin coating of cooking oil ) ideally a 28-cm , cover pan with a tea towel . Repeat with the rest of the dough and the filling .

* Let buns proof for another 20 minutes .

* Place pan into a stove top and turn heat to medium , pan fry , covered , for 6 minutes or until the bottom turns lightly brown . Pour in the water and flour mixture , turn heat to low and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until you can hear some cracking noise indicating that the liquid has totally evaporated .

* Sprinkle buns with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions ; serve immediately with vinegar sauce . You can steam the leftover , if there are any , and if you want a crispy bottom , you can pan fry it after steaming .